U.S. patent number 4,065,168 [Application Number 05/261,610] was granted by the patent office on 1977-12-27 for trailer van construction.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Pines Trailer Corporation. Invention is credited to Richard G. Gregg.
United States Patent |
4,065,168 |
Gregg |
December 27, 1977 |
Trailer van construction
Abstract
A trailer van construction with side walls which provide the
trailer van with greater storage space. The trailer van includes a
floor, upstanding end walls, a roof and opposite side walls. Each
side wall includes a generally rectangular, elongate panel having
generally parallel upper and lower edges, and a top framing
structure. The framing structure includes a top rail having a
depending plate portion and at least one laterally extending flange
for supporting the roof. The end walls have different heights and
the plate portion has a vertical dimension greater than the
difference in height between the end walls. A capping member is
assembled over the upper edge of the panel and secured to the outer
surface of the plate portion along a line which is nonparallel to
the top edge of the top rail such that the upper margin of each
side wall is defined by a wedge-shaped section of the plate
portion.
Inventors: |
Gregg; Richard G. (Kewanee,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Pines Trailer Corporation
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22994075 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/261,610 |
Filed: |
June 12, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/186.1;
296/29 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62D
33/04 (20130101); B62D 53/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B62D
33/04 (20060101); B62D 53/00 (20060101); B62D
33/00 (20060101); B62D 53/06 (20060101); B62D
033/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;296/28M,29,36 ;280/16T
;105/409 ;52/90,94,282,480,481,483,495 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Paperner; L. J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Silverman & Cass, Ltd.
Claims
What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States
is:
1. An elongate framing structure for use in the construction of a
side wall of a trailer van, said framing structure comprising, an
elongate rail having a top edge and a depending plate portion and
laterally extending means for supporting a roof of the trailer van,
said plate portion having a substantially unobstructed flat
surface, an elongate capping member having a covering portion
adapted to extend over and cover the upper edge of a panel part of
said side wall, the capping member including flange means for
attachment to said plate portion, and fastening means for securing
the capping member with an upper margin of said panel part retained
thereon to the flat surface of the plate such that the covering
portion and the upper edge of the panel extends at an angle with
respect to the top edge of the rail.
2. The framing structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said plate
portion has a width of at least 11 inches.
3. A method for constructing a side wall for a trailer van, said
method including the steps of: assembling an elongate capping
member over the upper margin of a generally rectangular panel
having generally parallel upper and lower edges, placing the
assembled capping member and panel on a plate portion of a top rail
for the side wall, aligning the upper edge of said assembled
capping member and panel at an angle to the top edge of said rail
such that one upper corner of said panel is further from said rail
top edge than the other upper corner, holding said rail and said
panel as aligned, and securing said assembled capping member and
panel to said plate portion, thereby to form a side wall defined by
said panel and said plate portion and having a height at one end
which is greater than the height at the other end.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein one corner of said panel
is approximately 7 inches further from said top edge of said rail
than the other corner of said panel.
5. The method according to claim 3 including the step of forming
the panel from a plurality of rectangular sheets.
6. The method according to claim 3 including the step of cutting at
least one end edge of the panel so that said at least one end edge
is generally perpendicular to said rail top edge.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a trailer van construction and
particularly to the construction of side walls for a trailer
van.
The maximum vertical height of a trailer van is limited by
governmental standards, e.g., standard bridge clearances. The
height of a floor of a trailer van above ground is limited by the
size and mounting requirements of the front and rear wheel trucks
or carriages. The front wheel carriage for the trailer van is
usually incorporated into the cab portion of a truck-trailer and
the front end of the trailer van is supported thereon. The rear end
of the trailer van is supported on a wheel carriage fixed to and
beneath the floor of the trailer van. In the construction of cabs
and trailer vans there has developed a difference in the above
ground height between the front end of the trailer van and the rear
end of the trailer van. As a result, the point of maximum height of
the trailer van is at the front end of the trailer van and the
floor and roof of the trailer van slope downwardly to the rear end
of the trailer van. Typically, the vertical extent or height of the
rear end of the trailer van is 7 inches below the top of the front
end of the trailer van.
In loading trailer vans, dock workers attempt to fill all available
space in the trailer van for maximum efficiency and maximum pay
load. Accordingly, if additional space can be formed in the trailer
for storing additional goods, a greater efficiency and space
utilization can be obtained. For this reason various attempts have
been made to utilize the wedge of space at the top of the trailer
van defined between a plane parallel to the ground and the plane of
the roof, both planes intersecting at the top front edge of the
trailer van. Typically, these attempts have involved the building
of a trailer van with a roof which is parallel to ground level. The
floor is non-parallel with the roof and slopes downwardly from the
front end of the trailer van to the rear end of the trailer van.
The side walls of the trailer van then must have an irregular shape
with a vertical extent at the rear of the trailer van which is
greater, typically seven inches greater, than the vertical extent
at the front end of the trailer van.
An example of a truck-trailer having a trailer van with a front end
which is higher than the rear end of the trailer van and with
irregular side walls is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,240 (Class
296-28). In the trailer van disclosed in this patent, each side is
formed from a longitudinally extending sheet. This, of course,
requires special cutting of each sheet in order to form each side
wall with the desired irregular shape.
In many conventional trailer vans, the side walls are formed from a
plurality of rectangular sheets which are arranged side by side,
like a fence. An example of a trailer construction of this type is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,920 (Class 280-106). In this type
of construction the sheets are secured together by posts to form an
elongate panel. The bottom edge of the panel is secured to a bottom
or floor frame member and the marginal edge portion of the panel is
secured to an elongate top rail or frame member. Typically the
elongate top frame member includes a depending plate portion to
which the panel is secured, laterally extending flanges adjacent
the top edge of the frame member for supporting the roof, and a
capping flange which extends outwardly from the plate portion for
extending over the top edge of the sheets and posts. This latter
flange forms a cover for the top edges of the panel formed from the
sheets and posts. Additionally, a cable-covering flange extends
outwardly over the capping flange and is adapted to receive
thereunder a cable for supplying electricity to electric lamps
mounted on the top frame member along the length thereof.
To form the side walls of this type of trailer van with an
irregular shape, so that the roof is parallel to ground level, each
sheet for one side wall panel is cut with a different length and
preferably cut at an angle. Then, the sheets must be aligned in
proper relationship with the shortest sheet at one end and the
longest sheet at the other end of the panel formed from the sheets.
Since cutting of the sheets at an angle is awkward and time
consuming, it is more likely that the sheets will be cut in
different lengths, with the cut being perpendicular to the side
edges of each sheet. Then the sheets are assembled to form the
elongate panel with a stepped top edge and the posts are secured to
overlapping side edges of the sheets. Of course, this means that
the capping flange will only engage the extending upper corners of
the sheets or the posts. Also, there is still the problem of
cutting the sheets in different lengths and then aligning the
sheets in proper relationship to each other. This results in a
significant increase in the cost of making and assembling a side
wall with an irregular shape over the cost of making and assembling
a rectangular side wall.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to
provide in a trailer van construction a side wall in which no
special cutting or special arrangement of each sheet for one side
wall is required to provide each side wall with the desired
irregular shape.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided an elongate framing
structure for use in the construction of a side wall for a trailer
van, the framing structure including a rail having a depending
plate portion and laterally extending means for supporting a roof
of the trailer van. The rail is of uniform cross section along its
length and the plate portion has a substantially unobstructed flat
surface to which the upper edge of a panel can be secured at an
angle to the top edge of the rail.
Preferably, the framing structure also includes an elongate capping
member having a covering portion which is adapted to extend over
and cover the upper edge of a panel of the van side wall and at
least one flange for attaching the capping member to the plate
portion. The capping member is also of uniform cross section along
its length.
Also, according to the invention there is provided in a trailer van
construction of the type having a generally boxlike body including
side walls, a roof and a floor, the floor, during normal use of the
trailer van, being tilted with the front end thereof higher than
the rear end thereof such that the floor slopes downwardly from
front to rear, an improved side wall including an elongate framing
structure and an elongate generally rectangular panel. The framing
structure includes a rail having a depending plate portion and
laterally extending means for supporting the roof. The rail is of
uniform cross section along its length. The plate portion has a
substantially unobstructed flat surface, and the panel has a lower
edge secured to the floor and an upper edge which is parallel to
the lower edge and which is secured to the plate portion at an
angle with respect to the roof, whereby the distance between the
floor and the roof is greater at the rear of the trailer van than
at the front of the trailer van.
Further, according to the invention, there is provided a method for
constructing a side wall for a trailer van. The method includes the
steps of: placing the upper margin of a generally rectangular panel
on a plate portion of a top rail for the side wall, the panel
having generally parallel upper and lower edges; aligning the upper
edge of the panel at an angle to the top edge of the rail such that
one upper corner of the panel is further from the rail top edge
than the other upper corner; holding the rail and the panel as
aligned; and securing the upper margin of the panel to the plate
portion, thereby to form a side wall defined by the panel and the
plate portion and having a height at one end which is greater than
the height at the other end.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view with portions broken away of a
conventional prior art trailer van;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally
along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and in the indicated direction
showing the cross section of a conventional prior art top frame
member of the van side wall;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view with portions broken away of a
trailer van with a side wall constructed according to the teachings
of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally
along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and in the indicated direction
showing the cross section of the top frame member and of the
capping member utilized in constructing the side wall of the
trailer van of invention; and
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view with portions broken
away of the upper portion of the side wall of the trailer van of
the invention taken generally along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4 and in
the direction indicated.
DESCRIPTION OF A PRIOR ART TRAILER VAN
A conventional prior art trailer van is generally identified by the
reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. The trailer van 10 includes a
conventional side wall 12 comprised of a panel 14 and a top frame
member or top rail 16. The panel 14 is formed from a plurality of
rectangular sheets 18 which are arranged side by side. Typically,
the side edges of the sheets overlap and the overlapping edges are
held in place by posts 19. In this prior art trailer van 10, the
above floor height of the front and rear edge of the side wall 12
are the same although the floor and roof slope from front to
rear.
The top rail 16 is typically an elongated aluminum extrusion having
a particular configuration as best shown in FIG. 2. In this
respect, the top rail 16 includes a depending plate portion 20
which in a typical prior art side wall construction has a vertical
extent or dimension of approximately 7 inches. The top edge of the
rail 16 is defined by a flange 22 which extends laterally outwardly
from the side wall of the trailer van and which forms a support and
attachment surface for a sheet of metal 23 forming part of the roof
of the vehicle. The upper portion of the rail 16 includes another
flange 24 which is spaced below the flange 22 and which extends
laterally inwardly of the side wall 12 of the trailer van 10. This
flange 24 provides a support and connecting surface for
transversely extending cross members or beams 25 of the roof.
At a point spaced below the flange 24 are further flange formations
extending from the top frame member 16 laterally outwardly of the
side wall 12 of the van 10. These flange formations are identified
by the reference numerals 26 and 28. The flange formation 26 is
generally L-shaped so as to form with the plate portion 20 an
inverted U-shaped trough or channel generally indicated by the
reference numeral 30 for receiving and covering the upper edge of
the posts 19.
The flange formation 28 is generally in the shape of a quarter moon
and extends over and adjacent to the flange formation 26 so as to
form an elongated channel 27 of generally circular cross section
within which a cable may be mounted and protected. The flange
formation 28 forms a conduit for the electrical conductor or cable
which supplies electric power to electric lamp assemblies mounted
at various locations along the upper edge of the side wall 12. Two
such lamp assemblies are shown at 33 in FIG. 1.
As best shown in FIG. 2, the upper margin of the panel 14 is
secured to the plate portion 20 by means of rivets 34.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 3, a trailer van constructed in accordance
with the teachings of the present invention is identified by the
reference numeral 110. The trailer van 110 includes a side wall 112
which has an irregular shape as opposed to the rectangular shape of
the side wall 12 shown in FIG. 1. The side wall 112 includes an
elongated panel 114 having the shape of a parallelogram and a top
framing structure or frame assembly 116. The elongate panel 114 is
formed from a plurality of sheets 118 which are arranged side by
side with their side edges overlapping, the overlapping side edges
being secured in place by posts 119.
As shown in FIG. 4, the framing structure 116 includes an elongate
top frame member or top rail 120 and an elongate capping member
122. The top rail 120 includes a depending plate portion 124 and
roof supporting flanges 126 and 128. As shown, the flange 126 is
similar to the flange 22 shown in FIG. 2 and supports a metal sheet
or skin 129 forming part of the roof assembly for the trailer van
110. Likewise, the inwardly extending flange 128 is similar to the
flange 24 shown in FIG. 2, and supports structural members or beams
131 of the roof assembly. The plate portion 124 has an outwardly
facing flat surface 132 which, except for several light assemblies
133 adjacent the underside of flange 126, is unobstructed for the
full vertical extent of the plate portion 124 beneath the flange
126. This outer surface 132 provides an attachment surface for
attaching the marginal area or upper margin 134 adjacent the upper
edge of the panel 114 to the top rail 120.
The elongate capping member 122 has an inverted generally U-shaped
cross section as shown in FIG. 2. This U-shape is defined by a
bight portion 136 and two leg portions 138 and 140. The leg portion
138 is longer than the leg portion 140 and forms or defines an
attachment flange for attaching the capping member 122 to the plate
portion 124 of the top rail 120. The bight portion 136 and the
other leg 140 form an L-shaped flange formation defining a covering
or capping portion of the capping member 122 with an inverted
U-shaped trough or channel 142, similar to the trough 30 shown in
FIG. 2, being defined beneath the bight portion 126 and between the
legs 138 and 140. The upper edge of the panel 114 is received in
the trough 142. The capping member 122 also has a flange 144 which
extends upwardly from the bight portion 136 and which is coplanar
with the flange 138. The flanges 138 and 144 both form attaching or
mounting flanges for attaching the capping member 122 to the plate
portion 124 of the top frame member 120. Also, the flange 144
provides structure from which a cable covering flange 148, similar
to the cable covering flange 28 shown in FIG. 2, can extend. In
this respect, the flange 148 extends over the bight portion 136 and
is adapted to receive, hold and protect a wire conductor -- a cable
which supplies electrical power to the lamp assemblies 133.
After the upper edge of the elongated panel 114 is received in the
trough 142 of the capping member 122, the upper margin 134 of the
panel 114 is secured by means of a plurality of rivets 154 to the
plate portion 124. The rivets 154 serve as a fastening both the
marginal area 134 and the flange 138 of the capping member 122 to
the plate portion 124 of the top frame member 120. The flange 144
is also secured to the plate portion 124 by means of rivets 156
which are spaced further apart than the rivets 154.
It will be apparent from FIG. 3 that the capping member 122 is
riveted to the plate portion on an angle. Stated otherwise, the top
edge of the capping member 122 is aligned nonparallel to the top
edge of the top rail 116, i.e., it slopes downwardly toward the
rear of the trailer van such that the side wall 112 is defined in
part by a wedge-shaped section of the plate portion 124.
As stated above, in many conventional trailer vans the height of
the front end of the floor of the van above ground is typically 7
inches greater than the height of the rear end of the floor of the
van above ground. As a result, it has been found that the vertical
extent or dimension of the plate portion 124 should be at least 11
inches. Of course, the vertical dimension of the plate portion 124
can be greater to obtain a larger wedge of additional space at the
top of the trailer van. This will depend upon the vertical height
requirements of the front and rear trucks or wheel carriages of the
trailer van.
In constructing a side wall 112, the sheets 118 and posts 119 are
assembled on a horizontal table to form the panel 114 with
generally parallel upper and lower edges. Then the capping member
122 is assembled on, but not secured to, the upper edge of the
panel 114. Next the capping member 122 and panel upper edge are
aligned on the plate portion 124 of the top rail 120 with the top
edge of the capping member nonparallel to the top edge of the top
rail 120. The parts of the assembly are then aligned, i.e., the
elongate panel 114, the capping member 122 and the top rail 116,
are fixed in place, such as with clamps, and riveted together with
rivets 154 and 156. The alignment between the top rail 120 and the
capping member 122 is best shown in FIG. 5. Subsequently, one or
both end sheets of the panel 114 may be cut to form the panel 114
with one or both end edges perpendicular to the roof. This will
depend upon the side wall configuration desired and upon the width
of end or corner posts 160 and 162. If they are sufficiently wide,
the end edges of the panel can be placed behind the posts and
adequately secured thereto even though the end edge may be at an
angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the post 160,
162.
In the illustrated embodiment, the front and rear end walls are
shown perpendicular to the roof and the corner posts 160, 162 are
not too wide. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the end edges of the
panel 114 are cut to form the same perpendicular to the roof and to
ground level. As a result, the panel 114 has the shape of a
parallelogram and the side wall 112 is defined by the
parallelogram-shaped panel 114 and a wedge-shaped section of the
plate portion 124.
It is to be understood that both end walls may not be perpendicular
to the roof and ground level. In fact, it is contemplated that in
many embodiments of the trailer van of the invention only the rear
end wall will be perpendicular to the roof and to ground level and
the front end wall will be perpendicular to the floor, i.e. at an
angle to the vertical similar to the angle of the front end wall of
the trailer van shown in FIG. 1. Thus, in the construction of many
trailer vans of the invention only the rear edge of each side wall
will be cut to form the same perpendicular to the roof and to
ground level.
It is to be understood that the capping member 122 can be arranged
at any desired position with respect to the plate portion 124 and
have any one of a number of slopes relative to the top edge of the
top rail 120. The maximum slope, of course, will depend upon the
length of the top frame member 120 and the vertical dimension of
the plate portion 124. In any event, the side wall construction of
the present invention allows for great flexibility in the shaping
of the side walls for a trailer van at a small increase in cost
over conventional, e.g., rectangular side walls.
The side wall 112 is now ready for use in the construction of the
trailer van 110. In this respect, the end edges of the panel 114
are secured to the end or corner posts 160 and 162, the bottom
margin of the panel 114 is secured to a bottom frame member (hidden
from view) and the ends of the top frame assembly 116 are secured
to the upper ends of the posts 160 and 162.
Although the preferred embodiment of the side wall construction of
the present invention includes a capping member 122, it is to be
understood that the teachings of the invention can be practiced
without the capping member 122. In this respect, one could merely
rivet or otherwise fasten the upper margin 134 of the panel 114 to
the outer surface 132 of the plate portion 124. This construction
would have the advantage of the cost saving of the capping member
122. However, it would have the disadvantage of permitting entry of
moisture and other foreign matter into the posts 119 or into panel
units made with a double wall (sheet) construction. The moisture,
of course, could cause a corrosion problem and shorten the useful
life of the side wall. Additionally, such a modified construction
would not provide a cable-covering flange for a cable to supply
electric power to the lamp assemblies 133 mounted adjacent the top
edge of the side wall as provided by the cable covering flange 148.
Consequently, a side wall construction including the capping member
122 is preferred.
It will be understood that modifications and variations can be made
to the embodiments of the invention without departing from the
spirit or scope of the invention. In this respect, obvious
modifications to the particular configuration of the
roof-supporting flanges and/or to the particular configuration of
the capping member will occur to those skilled in the art.
Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is only to be
limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.
* * * * *